Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium to Cost Over $2 Billion

This illustration released from Japan Sport Council shows an artist's impression of the new National Stadium for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, designed by Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.

Japan Sport Council/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Japan’s sports minister on Monday said the government will stick to its original construction plan for a new national stadium for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, noting the project will now cost about $2 billion.

Designed by U.K.-based architect Zaha Hadid, the new stadium will feature two arches on its top and a retractable roof that won't be completed in time for the Games. Construction is scheduled to finish before the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which Japan will also host.

A group of architects opposing the costly plan had been offering their own proposal. The group, led by Pritzker Prize laureate Fumihiko Maki, had proposed an alternative stadium with a simple doughnut-shaped facility for a fraction of the price.

But sports minister Hakubun Shimomura told reporters that the original design by Ms. Hadid “was one of the sales points” in Tokyo’s bid to host the Olympic Games. A change of plan this late would make it impossible to complete the construction on time, he also said.